Tin-opening machine



Mar. 3, 1925. y

` J. cARAFlL'lDls TIN OPENING MACHINE 2 Sheets-sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2"?, 1925 J. CARAFILIDIS Mar. 3. 1925'.I

TIN OPNING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1923 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patente-d Mar. 3, 1925.

NUNITED STATES PATENT `(illu-1.015.

Janus oanarimnrs, or snnnafrow, wnsr Viadrina, assrenon or onen-FIFTH 'ro VAsEL savrnis, or MonGAn'rowN, wnsr vIRGiNIe, "Ann ariane-,Teniente 'ro JAMES DnLAs, on ennnivsnnno, :ennnsvnvnnraj TIN-OPENING MACIJIINE.

Application filed February 27,1923. Serial No 621,643.

To all whom t may conce/rn.:

Be it known that I, JAMES Canarinnns, a subject of Greece, and resident' of'Sabraton, county of Monongalia7 and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and usjeful Improvements in Tin-Opening Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to tin opening devices and more specifically to a power apparatus for separating metal sheets which have been caused to closely adhere through rolling in a pack. i

The primary object of the invention is to provide a power mechanism whereby rolled metal plates ortsheets which have become more or less closely bonded in the pack rolling process may be quickly and conveniently separated or stripped apart. l

A further object is to provide a comparatively simple, durable and inexpensive machine for effecting the forcible separation of bonded sheets.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combination of elements, which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is afront elevation of the invention, one of the tongs-closing members being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a cross section of the same taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal section taken substantially on line 3-3, Fig. k2; and i Figure l is an end elevation ofthe upper portion of the machine, showing one of theY supporting arms for the bar upon which the tongs-closing members travel.

Referring to said drawings, 1 and 2 indicate upper and lower horizontal guide bars which are rigidly carried in opposing parallel relation by a suitable frame 8 supported by legs 4. Mounted between and disposed in tongue and groove relation with said bars 1 and 2 are two slide-blocks 5 which are reciprocable longitudinally into and out of meeting, or substantially meeting', relation at or adjacent to a midway point with respect to the opposite ends of said bars. Each of said slide blocks has mounted stationarily there on,as by mean of bolts 0r rivets .6, one 'member 7 @fia pair of tongs, and pivoted to said memher-7 is the other member 8, said membersbeing disposed in vcrossed relation and having cooperating jaws Ft =and 8a formed vontheir lower ends.

The two pairs of tongs are designed .tobe initially disposed in approximately meeting relation and to receive between the jaws thereof the upper ,edges of adhering or bjonded sheets which areto be separated, following which said jaws are 4closed into tightgripping relation to such sheets, and the blocksoarrying the tongs are then actuated to move in opposite directions for forcibl stripping said sheets apart.

The upper ends of the members? .and 8 of each pair of tongs ,are normally separated a distance allowing the jaws thereof to remain open for the reception therebetween of the edge of a sheet. Overhanging said upper ends of each tongs is a-vertically reciprocable device whereby closing ,of the tongs may be effected, said devicecomprising a block 9 having therein an upright conical or bell-shapd socket 10. Upon lowering said device upon the upper endsof the underlying tongs members, said ends are engaged by the curved or inclined socket walls and the pivoted member 7 is .forcibly A.actuated to swing toward theother `member 8 for closing the jaws of the tongs. Antifriction rollers 11 .are carried `by rthe upper ends of the tongs members for vminimizing frietional resistance to lowering of the blocks 9 to tongs-closing position.

Said blocks 9 are mounted for longitudinal travel upon a bar 12, preferably of rectangular form in cross section, each `block being preferably provided with upper frictionreducing rollers 13 and lower rollers 14k for engagingthetop and undersides, rcspectively, of said bar. Said bar has Vits opposite ends pivotally mounted upon the outer ends of crank-arms 15 which are fixed upon a shaft 16 that is mounted for rotary movement on upright bearing brackets 17 carried by the frame 3.

A lever 18 fixed upon the shaft 16 is manually operable for rotating said rod forward to edect lowering of the bar 12 and,- consequently, depression of the blocks 9 to tongs-closing positions. A dog 19 formed upon the end of a spring-pressed rod 20- is normally disposed in engagement with a stationarily mounted rack segment 21 and is designed to maintain said shaft in adjusted position against the tendency to return to block-elevating position, actuated by a weighted rearwardly-extending arm 22 carried by said shaft. Said rod 20 is carried by said lever 18 and has connection through pivoted links 23 and 24.` with a shifting lever 25 whereby it may be actuated for withdrawing the dog 19 from engagement with the rack segment.

The slide-blocks 5 may be actuated to travel back and forth by any suitable power mechanism, the mechanism herein shown comprising air cylinders 2 mounted on opposite ends of the fra-me 3. A piston 27 dis posed for reciprocation in each of said cylinders is carried by a'piston rod 28 which has its outer end suitably attached to the opposite slide-block. Pipes 29 and 30 provided for introduction of air under pressure into opposite ends of each cylinder, it being understood that air is admitted into said ends alternately to effect 4reciprocation of the piston. j lt will be understood that the tongs-closing blocks 9, being freely shiftably along the bar 12, are actuated to travel with the tongs with which they are operatively engaged and that, consequently, the jaws of said tongs are maintained in `tightly gripping relation to interposed edge portions of sheets during their travel. Y

A light coil spring 31 connecting, the members 7 and 8 of each pair of tongs serves to maintain said members in such relation that their upper ends are at all times in position to be operatively engaged by the overlying blocks 9. However, said spring is not under suflicient tension to effect closing of the tongs. K

As many changes in details of construc- Ation and many widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the appended claims, may obviously suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in thev drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not inl a. limiting sense. Furthermore, the

'terms and expressions which are herein used are employed as terms of description and not of limitations.

lVhat is claimed is- 1. A tin opening machine. comprising a pair of horizont-ally disposed guide bars, blocks disposed for travel between said bars, a pair of pivotally related sheet-gripping members carried by each block, said members having cooperating jaws at one end thereof, a Asocketeddeviee superposed over the opposite ends of each pair of members, means for depressing said devices to effect closing of said jaws, and power mechanism for actuating said blocks to and from substantially meeting relation.

2. A tin opening machine comprising two pairs of vertically disposed tongs of p ivotally related crossed-member type, each pair having cooperating jaws on the lower end thereof, theupper ends of the members of each pair of tongs carrying rollers, means depressible into engagement with said rollers whereby said tongs members are moved relatively to close the. jaws thereof, and means for actuating said pairs of tongs to move in opposite directions, said tongs-closing means being arrangedto travel with said tongs.

3. A tin opening machine comprising two horizontally movable sheet gripping devices` each embodying a pair of pivotally related jaw-carrying members, a block superposed over the upper ends of the members of each gripping device, said block having an upright conical socket adapted to receive said upper ends of the members therein and being adapted through. lowering thereof to effect movement of said members vinto jawclosing relation, a rotary shaft disposed above said blocks,y arms carried by said shaft, a bar carried by said arms, said bar having said blocks horizontally shift-able thereon, means normally maintaining said shaft in a position holding said bar elevated, a lever whereby said shaft may be rotated to effect lowering of said blocks, and power mechanism for moving said gripping devices in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof, I aiiii; my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES oaaarrninis. lVitnesses H. E. DUNLAP, M. T. MANioN. 

